OWATONNA TRIAL STATION, AUGUST, ig02. 373 



OWATONNA TRIAL STATION, REPORT MADE 

 AUGUST, 1902. 



E. H. S. DARTT, SUPT. 



There was nothing remarkable about our last winter. No root- 

 killing and very little blight has appeared, and that mostly on Rus- 

 sian varieties. The more than 500 varieties originated here have 

 been selected because of their vitality and freedom from blight, and 

 to avoid blight we must not plant blight-carrying kinds. 



Alternate rows were girdled last year about July first. There 

 was a full bloom, but apples dropped badly, so that the crop now 

 remaining is very light. I am certain now that spraying prevents 

 dropping. I have been largely in the apple business more than 

 fifty years, twenty years in Wisconsin and the last thirty-two years 

 in Minnesota. My experience will no doubt be beneficial to the 

 rising generation. I have been spraying for several years. Last 

 year trees blossomed so lightly that I thought it would not pay to 

 spray at all, but I concluded to spray my largest or- 

 chard of about 2,500 trees. I used one-fourth pound of 

 Paris green to fifty gallons of water at a total expense of 

 less than one cent per tree. Apples were smooth and salable and 

 netted me not less than $500. I have another orchard of 500 Duch- 

 ess. This I did not spray. Apples dropped badly, and I gathered 

 about ten bushels, which were of little value on account of being ill 

 shaped and knotty. I think I would have saved $100 per day by 

 spraying this orchard also. 



This year promised to be the bearing year. There was a full 

 bloom, and I sprayed the large orchard as usual, and but for the 

 very hard winds I would have a good crop. As it is, I think I 

 will get 1,000 bushels, perhaps a quarter crop. I preferred that the 

 Duchess orchard should not bear this year, preferring a crop next 

 year instead. My belief is that if we remove the fruit these fruitful 

 years and girdle we will get the fruit the following year. It is a 

 great deal of work to remove fruit by hand, so I sprayed a part of 

 this orchard at blossoming time with salt at the rate of four quarts 

 to 50 gallons of water ; this killed most of the blossoms and a little 

 of the foliage, and I think the chance very fair for crop next year. 

 Girdling need not be done on very productive kinds like Duchess. 



The apples on the part of this orchard not sprayed dropped bad- 

 ly, and wind has taken off most of the remainder, so that this part of 

 the orchard is also in good condition for next year's crop, and I 

 conclude that with plenty of wind and insects we need not spray 

 with salt to thin fruit. It will be thin enough. 



